Online Education (internet And Website Development Cert. Program)

By Expert Author: John Srob

Online Website Development Certificate Program Overview

Online website development certificate programs prepare students for entry-level jobs as web developers. Students enrolled in these programs are trained in both digital graphic design and common programming languages for the Internet. Most schools require students to have a high school diploma or GED. Some also ask that students have some familiarity with HTML programming; however professional experience is rarely required. Graduate-level certificate programs often require students to have an associate or bachelor's degree.

Program Details and Information

Although many schools offer both classroom and online certificate programs for prospective Web developers, most online programs do not require students to attend any classroom sessions. Most schools allow students to complete their certificate program at their own pace and courses typically meet once per week for online chats with classmates and their instructors. Students also retrieve assignments and download lectures online.
Students wishing to take this program online will need to run a current operating system and have Java and Flash enabled in their Internet browser to watch and listen to lectures, complete interactive assignments. and interact with both classmates and their instructor.

Course Descriptions and Information

Most online Web development certificate programs train students to work with images and graphics in addition to technical programming and website functionality. Some programs also include training in database design and networking fundamentals.

Website Design and Development Course

Students gain foundational knowledge and insight into the development of visual website content. Topics of discussion include compression, file formats and Web color.

Mutimedia Course

This course instructs students how to use and edit audio, video and images for Web application. Students also learn how to design and implement their own interactive media.

Website Server Administration Course

In this class, students are taught how to plan, install and configure a Web server. They are also taught access management and resource optimization.

E-Commerce Course

Students are taught how to program their sites to conduct business using emerging technologies. Topics include encryption, security and programming online payment capabilities,.

Career Outlook For Graduates

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expected the demand for Web developers to grow over the 2008-2018 decade as companies expand their Internet capabilities. As of 2008, the median annual salary for a Web developer was around $70,000.

Continuing Education Information

Credits earned in a certificate may transfer into an associate or bachelor's degree program. Degree programs can also often be completed online or in the classroom.

Certificate in hand, you'll be prepared for work as a website designer or in website maintenance, helping companies flourish online. You might be working on a website that advertises your firm's products or services, or even automating the provision of those goods or services directly from the web.

Your certificate training will not be limited to just reading, listening to lectures or taking tests (although you will do all those things). Hands on work is usually stressed in these courses. You can expect to use the actual tools of professionals to build, maintain and modify websites, and to create a portfolio of work to show prospective employers.

Why get a certificate? Why not just read a book on the subject – after all, you have to read about it anyway? Especially when no laws or codes require certification to work on the web. There is good reason.

Employers want to know that you can do the work they pay you for. However, many employers won't know enough about the web to judge for themselves what you know. A certificate, on the other hand, says you have passed a course of study they enables you to do the work to industry satisfaction.

Due to the constantly and rapidly changing nature of the web, there is no requirement for recertification or continuing education. However, you may find updating your knowledge a good idea in a field that changes as fast as information technology does. Still, it is nice to know you don't have to meet a deadline to maintain your work status.

Cost of an Internet and Website Development Certificate can vary widely even within a single institution, depending on the level of certification you seek and the number of courses involved. Expect to pay three to five hundred dollars per course, as well as investing in books and paying some minor fees, and to take from five to fifteen courses.